Form No number No number Exploratory Focus Group Guide

ATTACHMENT 4

Exploratory Focus Group Guide

Form Approved

OMB No. 0920-XXXX

Exp. Date ­­­­xx/xx/20xx

Audience Analysis for Environmental Health Issues

Exploratory Focus Group Guide

I. Introduction (15 minutes)

1. Purpose

   • The purpose of our discussion is to find out about your attitudes and beliefs about global warming and climate change. We will also discuss possible messages and channels for increasing the public’s awareness of climate change impacts.

2. Disclosures

• Observation

• Audio taping

• Measures for safeguarding privacy

3. Ground rules

• Need to hear from everyone; one at a time please

• No right or wrong answers

• Moderator is impartial, please be candid

4. Participant introduction

• Your first name only

• A little bit about yourself, how long you’ve lived in this community, and what you do

2. General Knowledge and Awareness (20 minutes)

1. There is a lot of discussion these days about climate change/global warming and the potential impact it may have. How do you think climate change will impact the US in the next 10-20 years?

Probe: How might it affect your community? How might it affect your everyday lives?

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Information Collection Review Office, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D-74, Atlanta, Georgia 30333; ATTN: PRA (0920-XXXX).

2. What do you think are the greatest threats of climate change?

Probe: What concerns you personally the most? Do you think everyone is concerned about these risks?

3. What do you think makes a person more likely to be concerned about climate change?

What would make a person concerned enough to change their behavior in some way?

Probe: Would they have to believe climate change would affect them personally, their children or community? Would they have to see their friends and neighbors changing their behaviors for them to make a change in their own behavior?

4. How do you think people in the US have changed their behavior or lifestyle to either reduce climate change (green house emissions) or prepare for climate change?

Probe: What changes have people made in your community? What changes have you made in your personal behavior?

III. Climate Change Impact on Human Health (20 minutes)

1. How might climate change affect your health? Your family’s health or people in your community?

Probe: Injuries and fatalities related to severe weather events (e.g., heat waves, wildfires), air pollution, infectious diseases, food and water contamination, droughts, water shortages

2. How concerned are you about these health effects?

Probe: Do you feel vulnerable to these health effects? Are you personally

prepared? (emergency food, water) Who do you think would be most vulnerable?

Elderly, children, migrant farmers, poor?

(MODERATOR WILL HAVE A LARGE BOARD WITH A LIST OF POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE DURING THIS DISCUSSION)

3. Do you think your community is prepared to deal with these potential health effects of climate change?

Probe: Do you think local or state government officials are prepared to deal with these health effects? Are there cooling centers? Is there a warning system for heat waves or bad air quality?

4. Do you think most people in your community are aware of these health effects associated with climate change?

Probe: Would climate change become more important if people were aware of these potential health effects? Do you think people would become more motivated to change their behavior if they knew of these effects? Do you think most people wouldn’t believe this would affect them personally?

IV. Messaging (15 minutes)

1. If you wanted people to pay attention to information about the potential health effects of climate change and prepare for them, what are some possible ways to present this information?

Probe: Would you emphasize the impacts for your community members, such as children, elderly? Health effects for the state of California or the US? What information would need to be presented to local and state officials to prepare?

2. What health effects do you think people in your community would find most compelling to change their behavior to either reduce green house emissions or prepare for climate change?

Probe: Air-pollution, wildfires, water shortages, infectious diseases

V. Channels (15 minutes)

1. People get their information about climate change from many sources. If you wanted to increase your community’s awareness about climate change health effects, what are the most effective channels?

Probe: Local/national newspapers, local television news, radio, Internet, word of mouth, neighbors, local government, workplace

2. Who are some credible and influential sources for informing the public and government officials about climate change health effects?

Probe: Community members like yourself, opinion leaders, Healthcare providers, US Health Agencies (e.g., CDC, NIH, EPA) others?

VI. Closing (5 minutes)

• Check for additional questions.

• Thank and dismiss participants.